Automatic train-stopping apparatus.



A. LONGHED.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOPPING APPARATUS. APPL'ICATION FILED OCT. 5. 1916.

Patentedsept. 18, 1917.

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Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

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A. LONGHED. AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOPPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 0015.1916- I Patentedsept. 18, 1917.

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ARVID LONG-H1111), OF GEOB JGETOWN, CONNECTICUT.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-STOPPING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 11$, 1917 Application filed. October 5, 1916. Serial No. 123,927.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be 1t known thatI, Anvil) LONGHED, a citizen of Russia, resldlng at Georgetown,

. in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Train-Stopping Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvementsin train controlling apparatus.

In carrying out this invention, it is my purpose to provide train-carried devices for cooperating with track-side conductors divided into sections, and with apparatus connected to the conductors, whereby two trains which are respectively adjacent adjoining sections of the conductors will be brought toa stop. j j

The invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts here inafter set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawingsz- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of train stopping apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the various circuit connections.

Fig.2 1s a top plan view of one of th electro responslve devices constltutlng a relay and the circuit closer controlled thereby.

Fig. 3 is a crosssectional view of the trackway, showing the supports for the conductors.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through one of the supports on the line 4-4 ,of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5- shows' the device for cutting off the:

power and applying the brakesof a car.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view therethrough intermediately of andparallelto themes of the magnets 24.

Fig. 7 shows the arrangement of thetrolley poles and conductors and associated parts.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 1 designates a single track railway .line,

while 2 indicates inverted U-shaped supports arranged along the trackway and spaced apart and as here shown mounted on the cross-ties of the trackway. Extending longitudinally of the trackway is a pair of con ductors 3 and 3 respectively divided into sections 4 arranged end to end and insulated from one another and having the ends thereof secured in grooves 5 formed in the lower end of the lugs 6 depending from plates 7 secured to the under side of the horizontal members of the supports 2. Thus the conductors 8 are supported above the trackway. Also extending longitudinally of the trackway is another conductor 8 divided into sections 9 arranged end to end and insulated from one another and having the ends there of fastened to the horizontal members of the supports 2 by means identical to the connections between sections of the conductors 3 and said supports. These conductors 3 and S are appropriately spaced apart from one another and the sections thereof serve to divide the trackway into protected sections or zones, which may be of any desired length dependent upon the length of the sections of the conductors. Arranged in the respective ends of each protected section or zone is an electro responsive device 10 constituting a relay and comprising inthe present instance electromagnets 11 mounted upon a base plate 12, and an armature lever 18 under the influence of the poles of the magnets 11, so that when the magnets are energized the armature lever may be swung in one Clirection, a spring 14 being connected to the armature lever to return the latter to normal positionupon the deenergization of the magnets. 1 Connected to the outer end of the lever 13 is a contact block 15 adapted to engage contacts 16 secured to the bottom of the support and disposed in the path of movement of the contact blocks 15. The terminals of each electroresponsive device 10 are connected to the adjacent ends of the sections 4 of the conductors 3 and 3, in that particular section or zone of the trackway, by means of wires 17, while one contact of each pair 16 is connected by means of a wire 18 with the adjacent section .9 of the conductor 8, and the other contact of the pair 16 is connected by meansv of a wire 19 with the ground. Upon reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings,it will be seen that theconnections between one circuit closer, the contacts 16 and the contact block 15 constituting a circuit closer, and the particular sections of the conductor 8 extend in a direction opposite from the connections between the adjacent circuit closer in the adjoining zone and the corresponding sections of the conductor 8.

Mounted upon the roof of the locomotive or other motor car operating over the trackway is a supporting block 21 and pivotally mounted upon the block 21 and projecting upwardly therefrom are trolley poles 22,

adapted to engage the respective conductors.

3, 3 and 8. The trolley poles 22 in engagement with the conductors 3 and 3' are connected to the opposite sides. of a source of electrical energy 23 carried by the motor car. One-side of the source of electrical energy 23 is also connected with the trolley pole in engagement with the conductor 8 and the other side is grounded through the wheels and axles of the car. One of the last named connections for the source of energy includes an electroresponsive device 24 connected through suitable mechanism 25 with a con trolling element 27 of the motor car so that when the electro responsive device is energized the controlling element will be actuated to cut ofi the propelling power of the car. The mechanism 25 is also connected with a valve 26 in the air brake system of the the respective trolley pole, and to the positive side of the battery. Current simulta neously flows from the negative side of battery 23 through a trolley pole, conductor 3, electro-responsive device 11 at the opposite end of the section, conductor 3, and through the respective trolley pole to the positive side of the battery. Upon another car entering an adjacent section, the stopping device 24;

of the second mentioned car will be energized and the car brought to a standstill. In this instance, current flows from the positive side of the car-carried battery 23, through a trolley pole, conductor 8, contacts 16 of relay 10 or relay 11 as the case may be, through conductor 19 to ground, through the rails, car-wheels, the conductor connected therewith stopping device 24, to the negative side of the battery.

Simultaneously with the above described action, conductor 8 of the section occupied by the first mentioned car'will be connected of illustration, I Wish it to be understood that I do not limit or confine myself to the precise details of construction herein described and delineated, as modification and variation may be made within the scopeof the claims and without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim: 1

1. In a vehiclecontrolling system, a plurality of conductors divided into sections, electro-responsive means connected to a conductor of said plurality in each section, said means adapted to establish partial circuits including a conductor of said plurality in the adjoining sections; vehicle-carried means for actuating said electro-responsive means, and vehicle-carried means for stopping the vehicle, said stopping means adapted to be actuated by establishment of such partial circuit in a section to which the vehicle is adjacent. i

2. In a vehicle controlling system, a plurality of conductors divided into sections, a relay bridged across a pair of said conductors atzeach end of each section, each relay adapted to establish a partial circuit including a conductor of said plurality in the adjacent section; a vehicle-carried source of energy adapted for energizing the relays of a section to which the vehicle is adjacent, and a vehicle-carried device for cutting off thepower and applying the brakes of the vehicle;said device adapted to be energized by said source of energy when suchpartial circuit is established in a section to which the vehicle is adjacent.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature. I

ARVID LONGHED.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gonimissioner oi Z iatents.

Washington, D. 0. 

